How is fusion technology progressing in 2021?

[#Thomas#]

I am having difficulty finding reliable sources of news and information regarding the status of various methods of attempting to generate energy through fusion, but unfortunately, the information is either outdated, is nothing but rumour and conjecture, or has been... how shall I put it... "coloured" by attention seeking media.

I want to know how fusion technology is doing this year with it's various means (laser, magnetic chamber, helium-3 etc.), any reliable information you could share regarding its progress?

 

[faiziqb12]

when it comes to something like internet ... the websites are only to get you to them not often to provide things what you want..
so you must use the internet with caution ..
maybe you like this one
http://www.fusion-journal.com/

 

[#Thomas#]

That link you provided has nothing to do with fusion!

 

[faiziqb12]

that was to show you that only a few authentic resorce s exist on internet
refer here for the nuclear fusion buzz
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/g521/4-advanced-nuclear-fission-technologies/
http://www.eweek.com/news/lockheed-martin-claims-sustainable-fusion-is-within-its-grasp.html
http://www.lockheedmartin.co.in/us/products/compact-fusion.html
http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2015/feb/16/smaller-fusion-reactors-could-deliver-big-gains
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-star-power-iter-nuclear-fusion.html

 

[#Thomas#]

Ah, yes, same old same old, they said its just a few decades away back in the 70's. The whole thing is a cash hole that could have been better spent for implementation of already proven sustainable technologies.

 

[mfb]

All those proven sustainable technologies get much more money than fusion research.
Fusion power plants today might have been possible if funding for fusion went on as expected a few decades ago. If you cut funding, you delay research, that's not magic.

 

[#Thomas#]

Fusion technologies budget has remained more or less constant since preliminary studies have began, they even adjusted them for inflation rates... they had all the money they had since the beginning... that is until 2008 and the financial crysis, but that was over 30 years ago. The reduced budged remained since the financial crisis because for all that time, they failed to produce results.

Right now, the most efficient fusion reactor has China, with 27%, but even that could be commercial boasting!

 

[mfb]

You can't develop a full-scale reactor with funding sufficient for preliminary studies. I said "as expected", not "constant".

By the way, the ITER costs, even if they go up a bit more, are something like 60 (US-)cents per citizen and year. Compare that to roughly $100 per citizen per year for photovoltaics in Germany (don't have US-numbers there, they are probably lower).